Japan is skillful to adopt other countries’ culture. We Japanese are fond of eating beef steak, wearing a Western suit, and celebrating Christmas. And there is another crucial example: the toilet.
Traditionally, Japanese and people in some other Asian countries relieved the bowels with squatting position. The oriental toilet has no stool. However, once Western toilet was imported to Japan, it was rapidly spread all over the nation. Nowadays, we see Oriental toilet at limited places. For example, you can choose either Oriental or Western style at a shopping mall. But there are only one cell with an oriental toilet, whereas rest four cells equip a Western toilet, in the lavatory.
Some aged people are not accustomed to use the Western toilet. They say that they cannot put their strength to their anus using the Western toilet.
According to Giulia Enders, a German researcher, they are correct. Squatting is superior to sitting in taking a poo for a physiological reason. When sitting, your inner muscle has to take a pressure upon your rectal tissue before evacuation. Indeed, she found that who mess with squatting are unlikely to suffer from constipation.
The Guardian: The truth about poo: we’re doing it wrong
Constipation is a serious disease, especially in modern society. Fortunately, I seldom experience it.
It is an interesting result. However, I am partially doubtful about her finding. Constipation occurs for several reasons. As I have not looked through her articles, I am not sure her study could exclude any conditions which may modulate the result.
On the other hand, there are many Japanese who have a difficulty in using the oriental toilet. They cannot keep the posture of squatting with their feet attached to the ground. I am no exception so that I always choose a Western style. Modern people may have a degenerated body with a limited range of excursion. In this sense, Western-style toilet is more sophisticated than oriental style toilet, even if it is not friendly to the human body.
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